


My song for you

by Anili_2



Category: Hetalia: Axis Powers
Genre: And I'm back on this train, Human AU, M/M, Singer America, ends happy, mostly just abt chasing your dreams, slight angst, song writer england
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-01-01
Updated: 2020-01-01
Packaged: 2021-02-27 04:07:58
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,366
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/22070797
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Anili_2/pseuds/Anili_2
Summary: Music was important to Arthur from a very young age and it showed. Keeping true to oneself while making a name for yourself isn't an easy task, but he wouldn't trade his life away, not when he was finally close to getting everything after all his hard work.
Relationships: America/England (Hetalia)
Comments: 1
Kudos: 14





	My song for you

For a few seconds everything went silent around him. No running staff, no chatter from the audience and no music from anywhere could reach him for that blissful moment. Arthur focused on taking deep breaths to calm down his wildly beating heart. He was feeling unnaturally hot and absently regretted his choice of wear for today. The leather jacket looked great on him, but it definitely was a touch too warm and would only keep getting warmer under the bright stage lights that waited for him. The thought of being a guest star in a live show like this was just as exciting as it was nerve wracking. While the englishman had appeared to the public a couple times before, it had been years since the last one and all of his appearances had been in videos that underwent editing before being put out into the world. Today would be different. Today everything he would say could reach the ears of thousands of people and no side comment could be edited out, all eyes would be on him. Arthur opened his eyes and focused back to the world around him. He could do this. He didn't want to keep hiding anymore, didn't want to let other people dictate what parts of him to show, even if what was cut out were the worst parts of him. Those parts were just as much him as everything else and he was done being idolised by people who only saw the good bits or nothing at all. It was time for him to stand in the light with his work.

Arthur had loved music ever since he was a child. He remembered vividly just sitting still while his mum sang all kinds of songs. Sometimes it would be songs directed at kids like he was at the time, but his favourite memories were of her singing to whatever caught her ear on the radio either alone or with him, even occasionally with his father when the man thought he wasn't present. From a young age Arthur had started making songs himself. Some were to impress and make his mother happy, but even back then some were just a way for him to express himself. As he got older he kept getting better and even performed one of his songs at a school event once. It was sometime after the performance, when he started realising that he didn't necessarily have to be the one to sing the songs for them to reach others. Next year, he gave one of his songs to a friend of his to perform and as he watched the younger boy on the stage, Arthur felt himself wrapped up in his own song in a way performing had never done to him. He sent a silent thank you to the blue eyed kid grinning at him from the stage. Arthur's family moved cities within the same year so that was the last of his songs performed in that school.

Even though he didn't know anyone to sing his songs anymore, Arthur had kept on writing them. He recorded some for himself to listen to, but gave lyrics to none. Eventually he gathered up the courage and started reaching out to artists and studios with his songs. To say he was elated when he got hired after many, many tries would be an understatement. From then on Arthur had someone to give his songs to and at times he even wrote some with the artists themselves. He wasn't looking to end up getting his face recognised and made sure he was always credited under his writer name. It wasn't until more and more of his songs via different artists started gaining popularity that the people started wondering who exactly was behind them all. 

After enough convincing and asking, Arthur had agreed to appear in three shows, but only ones recorded without an audience present and which would be edited before shown to the public. He was only ever referred to with his song writer name, as he wanted to keep his real one secret. The hype about his face reveal had lasted for a while, but as more exciting news soon followed, the masses left him alone relatively fast. 

Within the five years following his appearances, Arthur found himself writing songs for himself to sing. Sing them he did. He even published a few, but this time under an artist name that was much closer to his real name and he made sure none of the given information would lead anyone to thinking he was the same person as his song writer persona. Those songs never gained that much popularity, for they were just songs made by another self-made artist in the sea of millions on the internet. Arthur didn't mind though. Those songs were there for him, not for the entertainment of the others. 

Or well, that's how it all began. After a couple years he gained more courage to sing and while hearing his songs sung by others hadn't lost its shine, the idea of performing them himself started shining brighter than it ever had. 

Which is exactly how Arthur ended up here in the first place. He had reached out with his writer name to one live show first, stating he would be interested in being a guest, even just a secondary one, and he wished to announce his beginnings as singer. While Arthur was aware he was seen as an amazing writer, he wasn't stupid and money spoke for the success, but he hadn't expected the whole ordeal to turn into such a big thing. It seemed that the media was hungry to see and hear more of the reclusive writer that had managed to stay in the shadows. The show latched onto his offer and soon his reappearance was amongst the most talked things for the weeks leading to it. 

Now that he stood here, waiting for the signal for him to step out, Arthur couldn't help but feel he was doing the right thing. At the signal, he took his place on the side stage. He could hear cheering the moment the lights turned on to reveal him, but the noise was soon calmed down by the first notes of the song. The show wanted something spectacular and that's exactly what they would get. Arthur felt a grin tug at his lips as he held the mic and once the first lyrics got past his lips he could feel his whole body relax and give in to the song in the best way possible. Lyric by lyric he felt more open than in years, though at the same time he was still blinded by the lights to really see his audience. 

Once the song came to an end, the applause returned tenfold. Arthur let out a relieved laugh as he waved at the audience. He placed the mic back to its stand to join the host on the main stage. They joked a little about Arthur's hiding skills and talked about the past and what was to come. Arthur even revealed to having posted his songs before too, mentioning the artist name he had hidden himself with. 

"However, I've had enough of hiding behind names that some see as entirely different entities. My real name is Arthur Kirkland and I'm just as human as the lot of you." Arthur sat up proudly as he spoke and tore away the last layer between him and his artist selves. 

It was exciting to hear people's reactions to whatever he had to say. Even if the host exaggerated his reactions form time to time, the audience's cheers and attention felt earned. They finally got to see the person behind the songs and so far had seemed to like it. Arthur had never exactly told anyone else why he started writing songs, at least not in a way that would show his vulnerability, but now he allowed himself to talk about his late mother and of the magic her singing had brought to his childhood. He surprised himself by tearing up and took a few deep breaths, apologising to the host to do something to hide his embarrassment. The response from the host came out of nowhere. After assuring Arthur that the reaction was purely normal, he added something to move the show. 

"We actually arranged a surprise for you, maybe it'll cheer you up again. Next up on the stage: the always handsome Alfred Jones!" 

Arthur's whole body froze. He turned to look at the stage he had stepped off of just a little while ago and lo and behold on it stood the one person he had never agreed to write a song to. Afterall he had already done it once. The smile that danced on those lips looked the same as ever and Arthur felt his heart skip a beat. At first he didn't even dare to look that high, but eventually he met the bright blue eyes that had given him support all those years ago. The shine in them was still there, only this time they held so much more emotion than when the boy had first took to stage. 

Obviously he hadn't been blind to Alfred's rise to fame, hells he had had to work his ass off to not be forced into writing for him despite the numerous requests sent his way. Not once had he suspected Alfred to have known who he was requesting, but that had been how he wanted to keep things and thus he kept on denying the requests. He hadn't wanted to open the chest of emotions that came with seeing the other live again. Now the memories bombarded him from every direction. Sleepovers, game nights, movie nights and secret spots. A strong bond and rapidly growing emotions. The reason Arthur had given his song for Alfred to sing in the first place, had been to try and express how he felt, but the younger boy hadn't seen the meaning behind the words like Arthur had hoped. He had felt wronged with, yet had been unable to ditch his dearest friend. The one thing he had been able to do before he moved, was to press a kiss to the corner of Alfred's mouth when saying goodbye. Arthur never stayed to see his reaction, but had rather chosen to run to the car that waited for him. 

With the memories going wild in his mind Arthur almost missed the start of the song. He might have missed the whole piece had the first notes not hit his heart like a thousand needles. Even after all these years Arthur would have been able to recognise the song in his sleep. One wouldn't exactly forget the song they poured all their love into. At first Arthur felt insulted Alfred had chosen this song to sing, but the moment the man started singing his emotions did a whole 180. Something in the way the american carried himself through the song made hope lift its head, though Arthur didn't dare to think what he was hoping for. Hearing his old song play made him want to laugh at how silly it all was, but at the same time it reminded him of how much he had grown and how proud he was of himself. Alfred's voice resonated somewhere deep in his soul and brought out the tears he had been trying to hold in for years. Arthur completely forgot about the cameras pointed right at him and the people keenly watching to see his reaction. He didn't wait for the host to speak up after the song ended to wipe his face and get up. Alfred had definitely noticed him moving, as the man rushed over to meet him on the main stage before he even made it off of it. 

"Arthur, I-" 

"Why did you sing that?" Arthur wasn't about to listen to any excuses or rambles Alfred had come up. He might have tear tracks on his face, but he needed an explanation as to why Alfred had chosen something that had been so full of his raw feelings and he needed it now. 

"What?" The baffled look on the man's face made it obvious the question came out of nowhere and maybe it did. That didn't change Arthur's need for an answer though so he stood firm. 

"Why did you choose to sing the song I gave you?" It was dead silent around them and even though Arthur was starting remember where they were, he also realised it was too late to back down now. Everyone were keenly waiting for Alfred's response and though he didn't see them do so, Arthur knew all cameras were poised at them. 

"Because I'm not an oblivious child anymore and I needed to see, whether or not I held any rights to hope you still felt the same." The confession brought a beautiful red onto Alfred's cheek Arthur had never seen on the man before. Hope did indeed show itself in the look directed at him and it made Arthur's heart beat wildly in his chest. For once he at a loss for words, but a smile broke out on his face alongside a laugh. Whether the laugh was out of relief or something else, he couldn't tell even if he tried. 

"The feeling isn't the same," Arthur started calmly and looked right back at the blue eyes that had once been so familiar to him, but now held so much more, "but it's not entirely different either." He lifted himself up high enough to press a brief kiss onto Alfred's lips and was pleased to see the bright happiness that bloomed in those blue eyes the moment the singer realised what had happened. 

The audience came to life after the kiss and it took a while for the crew to manage calming them all down again. It wasn't long after that the show ended for the night and the newly met duo took their first opportunity to take their exit, both still buzzing with excitement and looking forward to a future with the other by their side.


End file.
